LAFAYETTE, Calif. – A contingent of California rugby student-athletes were joined by coaches and alumni Sunday at Lafayette Reservoir, where the Golden Bears participated in their seventh consecutive 9/11 Heroes Run.
 
Associate Head Coach Tom Billups took his traditional run with the group, which included Jake Broekhuizen, Sam Cusano, Luke Freeman, Cal Liebowitz, Oliver Sharpe and Nathan Zylstra. The event supports the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization founded on an "'If Not Me, Then Who' movement … to continue the service to community and country exemplified by the nation's fallen heroes."  The event director is Marin MacDonald, assisted by her husband, Cal assistant coach Mike MacDonald.
 
The Rugby Bears were joined and sponsored at Sunday's run by alumnus Johnny Metheny, a multi-year starter at flyhalf under head coach Ned Anderson and his successor, Jack Clark, ending his senior season in 1985 with the first national title for coach Clark. A graduate of Piedmont High School, Metheny received All-America honors following his senior collegiate campaign and graduated Cal with a degree in economics.
 
"Playing Cal rugby was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences in my life," Metheny said. "It's an honor to sponsor the team's participation at this event."
 
Metheny is a prolific restaurateur and investor in the Bay Area and beyond, having gotten his start at the Fillmore Grill. He became proprietor of The Blue Light on Union Street and also launched Johnny Love's, with additional Johnny Love locations in Walnut Creek, Sacramento and San Diego. He recently opened the Toy Soldier restaurant on Belden Place in San Francisco, with Tin Cactus set to open next door in October. Another concept, Solstice, will open soon across the street from The Blue Light.
 
"This is annually our most important community service event. We will never be able to thank enough those individuals who keep us free and safe," said coach Clark. "Special thanks to Johnny Metheny for sponsoring our participation. Here we are, 35 years later, and Johnny and the team are still joined at the hip."
 
As Cal rugby enters its 138th year, the competition calendar for 2019-20 begins with the West Coast Collegiate 7s on Oct. 5 at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Action continues Oct. 19-20 at the Treasure Island stop of the WCC7s and culminates Nov. 9-10 in Steuber Stadium at Stanford University, where Cal will compete in the PAC Rugby 7s Championship.